Tension and feed mechanism for wire-fabric machines



(No' Model Y G. R. LAMB.. TENSION AND FEED MECHANISM EUR WIRE FABRIC! MACHINES.

No. 606,424.. PatentedJune -28, 1898.

mi Nonms pm 'sns w.. Pumauwo.. WASHINGTON. o. c,

Nrrnfn GEORGE R. LAMB, OF HUDSON, MIOHIGA.

TENSION AND FEED MECHANISNI FOR WIRE-FABRIC MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,424, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed December 23, 1897. Serial No. 663,204. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. LAMB, a citi zen of the United States,residing atHudsoinin the'county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Tension and Feed Mechanism for fire-Fabric Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanism for feeding the Wires to a machine for making Wire fabrics to be used as fencing, more especially for use in stationary or non-portable machines operated in a factory as i distinguished from machines to be used in the open field. In machines of this character it is essential that there shall be uniformity in the feeding of the series of Wires to the Working mechanism or the fabric-forming mechanism of the fabric-making machine in order that the product may beuniform in character; and it is the object of the present invention to provide a mechanism by which the several Wires shall be fed at a uniform rate to the machine.

A further object that I have in view is to provide a simple and efficient tension or feed mechanism in which the part-sare arranged in compact relat-ion to each other to take up a minimum amount of room in the machine,

`whereby the improved mechanism may be employed advantageously in lieu of the ordinary reels embodied in machines of the present construction, thus obviating the necessity for dismantling and rearranging the Working parts of the machine to adapt the improved mechanism thereto.

Nith these ends in vieW the invention consists of a feed mechanism comprising a revoluble guide and suitable tension-rollers situated in operative relation to said revoluble guide and arranged to hold the Wires in proper contact With said guide to insure uniformity in the rate of feed of the several Wires to be supplied to the Working mechanism of the machine.

The invention further consists in the combination of a revoluble guide havinga plurality of grooves or channels for the reception of the Wires to be fed to a machine, a series of spring-han gers carrying a like series of rollers having their working faces presented in alinement with the channels or grooves in the revoluble guide, and another series ofn spring-hangers also carrying a series of rollers which are presented tothe channeled or grooved surface of the revoluble guide, said independent series of rollers arranged to direct theY incoming and outgoing parts of the Wires into proper frictional contact with the grooved or channeled surface of the revoluble guide; and the invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand myiinven-V tion, I have illustrated one embodimentthere of in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and in Which-- Figure l is a sectional elevation of a tension and feed mechanism for a Wire-fabric machine, such tension and feed mechanism being constructed in accordance with my in# `vention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a part of the revoluble guide, illustrating one embodiment' thereof.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the gures of' the drawings.

My improved tension and feed mechanism consists of a shaft l, a revoluble guide `23, and tension-rollers and spring-han gers, which Will be presently described in detail. In the embodiment of the revoluble guide shown by Figs.Y 1 and 2 of the drawings I have Aillustrated the `same as consisting of a series of pulleys ordisks 3, each clamped independently on the shaft l at a suitable distance from every other disk or pulley of the series, andeach disk or pulley is provided with acircumferential groove or channel 4.. The disks or'pulleys are of uniform diameter to make each diskpresent the same circumferential area, and as the disks are rigidly clamped on the shaft they are caused to rotate therewith at the same peripheral speed. This is an important feature in my improved tension and feeding device, because it insures the necessary uniform feeding of the several strands of Wires to the fabric-forming mechanism of the machine. I employ a series of these disks or pulleys corresponding in number to the strands or wires to be fed to the fabric-forming mechanism, so that each strand of wire has an independent channel or grooved guide.

While I have shown the revoluble guide 2 as IOO VIo

consisting of a series of independent grooved disks or pulleys, I would have it understood that I do not strictly limit myself to the de# scribed construction, because I am aware that a single continuouscylinder provided with a plurality of spaced circumferential grooves or channels may be employed in lieu of the series of spaced pulleys or disks, and in this connection l desire to state that the series of independent spaced-pulleys or disks constitute the equivalent for the grooved cylinder forming the guide, because such pulleys or disks form from a mechanical standpoint av forming machine, and it occupies the place usually taken up by the reels of fabric-making machines as now constructed. As shown by Fig. 1, the revel uble guide is adjusted alongside of one of the bars or beams 5 of the fabric-making machine, and the shaft 1 of said revoluble guide is journaled in suitable bearings (not shown) supported in the framework or the machine to which the improvement is to be applied.

',The beam 5 of the machine-frame is utilized v hangers G are arranged to partially overhang y the cylindrical guide 2, and the heel of each upper spring-han ger is fastened rigidly to the beam 5 in a suitable way-as, for instance, by y a bolt S. The free overhanging end of the spring-hanger terminates above and in advance of the vertical plane of the shaft 1, and

to said free end of the upper hanger isv secured a guide-block 9. y This guide-block 9 is bolted, as at 10, to the hanger 6, and it is constructed with a guide pin or stud 11 and a 'guide-bar 12, arranged in different horizontal and vertical planes and situated at or near the free end of the guide-block 9. This guide-block 9 is also constructed with lugs 13, adapted to embrace opposite faces of the guide pulley or disk 3, and said guide also carries a loose roller 14, which is journaled therein at a point adjacent to the connection of the guide-block 9 to the free end of the hanger (5. It will be understood that each upper hanger 6' carries a guide-block 9, arranged in close relation to the working face of one of the pulleys or disks forming a part of the revoluble guide, and that the roller 14 in said guidelow the horizontal aXis of the pulley or disk,

block 9 is arranged very close to the peripheral grooved face of the pulley or disk for the purpose of directing the incoming part of the wire or strand into proper engagement with the grooved or channeled periphcral'faces of said pulley or disk 3.

Each hanger 7 of the lower series of nan gers is arranged to extend beneath one of the pulleys or disks of the revoluble guide, and the heel of the lower spring-hanger 7 is rigidly fastened, asrby a bolt 15 and the beam 5. The free end of each lower spring-hanger terminates at a point below the pulley or disk and in advance of the vertical plane of the shaft 1, said free end of the lower hanger terminating substantially in the same vertical plane as Vthe free end of the upper hanger, thus disposing the free ends of both upper and lower hangers for each pulley or disk on -one side of the verticalvplane of the shaft 1 opposite to the attachment of the heels of said spring-hangers to 'the beam 5. spring-hanger 7 isA equipped with a supporting block or carrier 16,which is bolted orv otherwise united,ras at 17, lto, the -free end of said lower han ger, and in thissupporting block or carrier 16 is journaled a loose guide-roller 18,

adapted to be sustained by the hanger and the block or carrier in, close relation to the peripheral grooved face of the disk or pulley forming a part of the revoluble carrier.

The revoluble guide of my tension and feed device may haveits shaft mounted loosely in its journal-bearings in the framework of the machine, so that said guide is adapted to rotate idly when the wires or strands are drawn around the same by the usual feed mechanism of the fabric-forming machine; but, if desired, this shaft 1 of the revoluble guide may be driven positively for the purpose of imparting uniform peripheral speed to the several members ofthe revoluble guide when the latter isof the sectional construction shown by the drawings, thereby making the latter form the feed as well as a tension meehanism for the independent strands or wires to be supplied to the machine. Y

In Fig. l I have illustrated the method of threading orar-ranging one of the strands or wires in relation to a pulley or disk and its accompanying parts. The incoming part of the wire or strand is first passed through the guide-block 9, beneath the stud l1, and above the bar 12,- after which it passes beneath the roller 14 and thence directly into the groove or channel et in the pulley or disk 2. The wire thence passes varound the groovedperipheral face of the pulley or disk to the rollers 18 of the lower hanger 7, so as to engage with said roller and to have its outgoing end held thereby in proper contact with the peripheral face of the pulley or disk. The described arrangement of the rollers 14 18, carried by independent spring-hangers in operative relation to the working face of the pulley or disk situated at points aboveand beserves to hold the incoming and outgoing parts of the wire or strand in proper frictional contact with the grooved face of said disk or pulley, whereby the wire is caused to have Each' lower ICO IIO

i mechanism of the machine.

fece/4.24 e l W l "a snug engagement with the pulley or disk and feed is imparted thereto at a uniform rate with all the other Wires constituting the series to be fed to the machine.

It will be understood that each pulley or disk is supplied with a pair of upper and lower spring-rollers and with the rollers-14 A1S and that each strand or wire engages with the rollers 14 18 andv with the pulley in the manner described. My tension and feed mechanism is designed to be situated between the reel or reels from which the supply of wires is obtained and the fabric -forming The improved tension and feed mechanism maythus be considered a part of a fabric-forming machine; but it will be understood that I reserve the right to embody said feed mechanism in any and all fabric-making machines of that class which are to be used-in a factory for the production of wire fabrics.

` It is evident that slight changes in `the form and proportion of `parts and in the details of construction may be `made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with ashaft,of arevoluble guide having a `series of ways or channels for the direction of wires or strands, and tension devices adjacent to said ways or channels and on opposite sides of' the line of feed of said wires or strands to said revoluble guide, whereby the tension devices engage the ingoing and outgoing lengths of the strands and maintain the same in intimate contact with the revoluble guide, as set forth.

2. The combination of a revoluble guide` having a plurality of grooves or channels,I and tension devices arranged to direct the wires or strands into intimate engagement with the grooved or channeled surfaces of the revoluble guide, substantiallyas described. Y

3. The combination of a revoluble guide having its working surface provided with a plurality of spaced circumferential grooves or channels, and two series of cushioned guiderollers situated in close relation to the grooved or channeled face of said revoluble guide, substantially asv and for the purposes described. e

4. A tension and feed mechanism for fab- ,ric-forming machines, consisting of a revoluble guide having its working surface provided with a plurality of channels or grooves, an upperspring-hanger adjacent to each groove or channel in said guide, a lower having a grooved or channeled Working face, i

curved spring-hangers arranged above and below the revoluble guide and having their free ends terminating adjacent to the revoluble guide at one side of the vertical axis thereof, and guide devices carried by said springhangers in close relation to the working face A of the revoluble guide, substantially as and for'the purposes described.

6. The combination of a revoluble guide having a vchanneled or grooved working face, an upper hanger adjacent lto each channel or groove in said revoluble guide, a guide-block attached to the free end of each upper hanger and provided with a stud and bar arranged in different horizontal and vertical planes, a i

roller journaled in the guide-block adjacent to the groove'H` or channel in the revoluble guide, a lower seriesof spring-hangers provided at their free ends with blocks or carriers, and rollers journaled in said blocks or carriers of the lower hangers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. A tension and feed device for fabricmaking machines consisting of a shaft, a series of grooved disks or pulleys clamped to the 'shaft at proper intervals from each other, a series of upper springhangers arranged over the series of disks or pulleys and carrying rollers in close relation to the peripheral faces of said disks or pulleys, and a lower series ofspring-hangers also provided with rollers adjacent to the grooved faces of said disks ICO or pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. A tension and feedmechanism for wirefabric machines; comprising a shaft, a revoluble guide carried by said shaft and adapted to receive a seriesof strands or wires, and two sets of tension devices situated in dif- Io5 i ferent horizontal planes, on one side of the vertical axis of said revoluble guide, and adjacent to the working surface thereof, for the purpose described, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto aflixed my signaturein witnesses.

the presence of two "GEQRGE R. LAMB.

t Witnesses: L. R. PEIRsoN,

ELI B. ROGERS. 

